J. Carpenter Readings

     It seems like A True Novel is a melting pot of cliches / familiar plots which have emerged from generational works of literature. I think it's really cool that the similarities to works such as Wuthering Heights and Tale of Genji still resonated in the English translation, especially when Carpenter hadn't read them before. I like the awareness she shows in the fact that she didn't see a reason to read Wuthering Heights while translating it, since she's faithful to the original text and not what it took some inspiration from. Imitating the greats is somewhat risky in my opinion, since, on one hand, you're taking inspiration from incredible sources, but on the other, if you follow them too closely it can just end up feeling like a cheap recreation. It seems like A True Novel did a good job, though.

    I heavily relate to the feeling of uncertainty Carpenter expresses in "Jumping Into the Pond," where it feels like you'll never truly know the language. This is kind of a repeating idea in my mind as I get further into learning Japanese, where I keep doubting whether I'm ever going to be fluent. I especially start to question the extent of my own knowledge and ability when translating more difficult passages (such as the imperial succession text), but it's reassuring to know that this sentiment is shared by someone who has translated full novels.

Madison